Merits of the Month of Ramaḍān

Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Isḥāq narrated to us, saying that Aḥmad b. Muḥammad al-Kūfī narrated to him among others, from ʿAlī b. al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Faḍḍāl, from his father, from Abī’l-Ḥasan, ʿAlī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā عليه السلام, who said: “Whoever fasts for three days right at the end of Shaʿbān, thereby connecting it with (the fasts of) the month of Ramaḍān, Allāh shall have it recorded for him that he fasted for two whole consecutive months. And whoever fasts for a (whole instance of) Ramaḍān, having established faith in and having accounted for its reward, will receive absolution from sins as if it were the day his mother gave birth to him.” The Imam عليه السلام continued: “My father narrated to me, from his grandfather عليهما السلام, that the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله has said: “Whoever comes to know the month of Ramaḍān and yet is not forgiven, then may Allāh distance him! And whoever comes to know the Night of Power and yet is not forgiven, then may Allāh distance him! And whoever has heard mention of me and sends upon me salutations and yet is not forgiven, then may Allāh distance him!” Someone said to him: “How can somebody send salutations upon you, o’ Messenger of Allāh, and yet not be forgiven?,” so he عليه السلام replied: “Such salutations are thrown back in the face of a servant (of Allāh) who sends them upon me but neglects to do the same upon the members of my House. Whoever sends salutations upon both me and my House, then he is forgiven.”